Railroad-signal



(No Model.)

WM/MW A. J. SBIPERT, A. BOURKE & P. J. WILKEN.

RAILROAD SIGNAL. I

Patented Oct. 27, 1896.

FIEME m; 1 null. 1"

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST J. SEIFERT,

ALPHEGE BOURKE, AND FREDERICK J. \VILKEN,

OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,064, dated October 27, 1896.

Application filed July 25, 1896- Serial No. 600,504. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that We, AUGUST J. SEIFERT, ALPHEGE BOURKE, and FREDERICK J. WIL- KEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Valparaiso, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Signals; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railroad-signals; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the device. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a plan view.

A is a portion of a stationary supportingpost, such as an ordinary signal-post.

B is a bracket rigidly'secured to the post A.

O is a vertical spindle journaled in the bracket B. A lamp or signal holder D is secured to the top of the spindle O by means of a central bolt (Z, provided with a head (1, which is let into a recess in the bottom of the lamp-holder. The bolt d passes vertically through-a hole in the spindle G and is provided with a nut D on its lower end for clamping the lamp-holder to the spindle after its position has been adjusted.

The bracket B is provided with a plate I) at its upper part, and b are balls running in circular grooves in the said plate and lampholder. The balls form an antifriction-bearing and permit the lamp-holder to be turned in either direction with great ease.

Any approved form of signal-lamp can be carried by the lamp-holder, and by preference a signal-lamp having plain and colored glasses arranged at an angle of ninety de grees is used.

E is a portion of a vertical rod, such as the rod that operates the signal-arm above the signal-lamp. This rod is slidable in guides e, secured to the post, but any approved means can be used for guiding the rod, or guides can be dispensed with altogether, if desired.

F is a projecting lug which is clamped to the spindle O in any approved manner. The lug is preferably provided with a split socket F, which encircles the spindle and is secured to it by clamping-bolts f, which pass through flanges f.

G is the spirally-arranged actuating-bar for oscillating the lamp-holder. This bar is curved substantially concentric with the spindle C and extends one-quarter around it in a spiral direction, being inclined at an angle of about forty degrees.

A short vertical stem 9 is formed at the upper end of the bar G, and a long vertical stem g is formed on its lower end. The stem g slides in a hole in a guide-bracket I-I, secured to the post A.

The stem g is connected to the rod E in any approved manner. For this purpose a projecting bracket I is preferably clamped on the rod E by means of a split socket I a and bolts '6. A bent arm 1" forms a continuation of the stem 9 and has a double eye j at its lowerend and a bolt j, Which connects it to the end of the bracket I.

The bar G works loosely in an inclined hole 70 in the lug F. When the parts are in the positions shown in the drawings and the rod E is pulled downward, the spindle and lampholder are revolved ninety degrees in one direction, so that a colored light or signal is substituted for a white light, or the reverse. hen the rod E is pushed upward, the lampholder is restored to its original position.

Instead of the lamp-holder being caused to partially revolve a lamp, it may be caused to operate a diaphragm-cylinder encircling a stationary lamp and provided with openings having plain and colored glasses, which are alternatelybrought in front of the lamp so as to change the signal.

When the rod E is used to operate a signal- I arm, the bar G is proportioned so that the stems g and g will slide for a short distance in the projecting lug F before the bar G enters it and commences to turn the spindle. This insures the signal-light being initsproper positions before the signal-arm is fully raised or lowered, and the signal-light is properly displayed even if the signal-arm is not raised or lowered to the utmost extent.

IVhat we claim is 1. The combination, with a stationary bracket, and a vertical spindle journaled therein and provided with a lamp or signal holder and a projecting lug; of a spirally arranged actuating-bar slidable in the said lug, and means for moving the said bar vertically, and thereby oscillating the said spindle, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a stationary bracket, and a vertical spindle journaled therein and provided with a lamp or signal holder and a projecting lug; of a spirallyarranged actuating-bar provided with vertical stems at its upper and lower ends, said bar and stems being slidable in the said lug, and means for moving the said bar and stems vertically, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a stationary bracket provided with a plate at its upper end; of a vertical spindle journaled in the said bracket and provided with a lamp or signal holder above the said plate, said plate and holder having similar circular grooves in their adjacent surfaces, balls running in the said grooves, and means for oscillating the said spindle, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a stationary bracket, and a vertical spindle journaled therein, a lamp or signal holder arranged at the top of the said spindle, and a clampingbolt passing vertically through the center of the said spindle and holder and permitting the position of the said holder to be adjusted, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa tures in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST J. SEIFERT. ALPI'IEGE BOURKE. FREDERICK J. \VILKEN. XV itnesses:

R. O. J ONES, S. Ross MARTIN. 

